chincoteague

We are staying in Lisbon for a few days then driving to Porto, stopping at Obidos and checking out the pottery stores (and other sites) near Batalha. Someone at work said that Aveiro is "terribly picturesque". Is it worth a detour and an overnight stay or is our time better spent just heading on to Porto?

Thanks for any tips!

HappyTrvlr

We found it to be a pretty town and worth a few hours. It was on our way from Coimbra to Guimares so we stopped enroute, not overnight.

chincoteague

Thanks! I am trying to maximize our time and still squeeze in a football game in Porto on Sunday.

lreynold1

I took a three day trip to Aveiro and surroundings last fall. I think it's a very pretty town, but I think its billing as the "Venice of Portugal" is slightly overrated. I have some pictures from that trip here:

http://picasaweb.google.com/laurie.r...ToAveiroOct08#

Depending on your timing, I think it's a nice stop, not much out of the way at all. Parking is fairly easy, there are lots of little streets right off the main streets with plenty of places to park. There are very highly touted local pastries, which I bought to bring back to Lisbon for some friends but can't report on since my husband and I don't eat many sweets.

chincoteague

Great photos! Appreciate the info - caught my husband's interest when I waas reading it to him and you mentioned the pastries. He has a sweet tooth like no one I know. I think if we have a few hours we will definitely stop in since parking is not an issue. We are headed to Porto to see the football game after a stop in Aveiro.

dgunbug

Michael

Coimbra would be a better stop. We were there for just a day visit then drove on to Aveiro. Just a tour of the old university wold be more interesting than Aveiro as a whole. We had been there before and this time, while our friend took the tour, we walked around the old town at the base of the hill. I preferred it to Aveiro.